NFL fashions an anthem “compromise”

The NFL had one right way to fix the anthem mess that the NFL created. But the NFL won’t be doing that, because that would cost too much.

So instead the NFL has tried to fashion something that is being called by the NFL a “compromise.”

Per Judy Batista of NFL Media, “Anthem policy is compromise — if players are on sideline, will stand. But players may choose to stay in the locker room if they prefer not to stand.”

As Ian Rapoport of NFL Media adds, “Respecting the anthem will be paramount if you’re on the sideline. Teams can also set their own policies. Compromise all around.”

It may represent a compromise among the owners, but it’s hardly compromise among the owners and the players. The only way to truly compromise would be to actually compromise — to acknowledge that the NFL gave the players the right to protest during the anthem, and to make some sort of a concession aimed at getting the players to agree to stand.

No, the NFL won’t do that. The NFL doesn’t want to fashion a compromise because the NFL doesn’t want to make a concession to the union. And the union fully realizes the value of the concession it would be making by persuading all players to agree to stand for the anthem.

The adjustment to the policy that the league clumsily created in 2009, confirmed in 2016, and reiterated in 2017 isn’t a compromise, because it takes away a player’s right to protest during the anthem, and it gives the player nothing in return.

142 responses to “NFL fashions an anthem “compromise””

I mean, I am a big supporter or non-violent protests but I can also see this is just crap… Make up your mind and take the blame one way or the other. There’s a reason NBA did not suffer the same backlash.

What does it mean that teams can set their own policy? Meaning a team can allow its players to be on the sideline and not stand? That a team can force its players to be on the field and standing instead of in the locker room? The answer to that question could create more problems than the league was already facing last year.

JustBlameTrumpOrRussia says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:04 am
The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.

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You have no clue about what being an American means, do you? Putin would love you.

The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.
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You’re describing a dictatorship, not a democracy. If you don’t want to live in a democracy, you can leave.

Don’t think the decision was made in a vacuum . I’m sure there are plenty of players looking for a ” compromise ” too because they don’t want to be singled out for whatever they choose to do .Players are allowed a choice which may not be a perfect solution but is still better then a mandate that all players will be on the sideline and stand foor the anthem . The protest served a purpose by getting a dialogue started , now it’s up to the players to continue their efforts with the owners to bring about the changes needed concerning social justice.

Seems like a weird way to twist words. It is a “compromise” in that they are not requiring players to stand for the anthem. You are welcome to stay in the locker room and choose not to stand for the anthem. It’s the very definition of a compromise.

Collectordude…you don’t have a platform to influence thousands of people at your work. It’s not the same. I have no issue with the players kneeling during the anthem. Their kneeling has nothing to do with disrespecting the flag or disrespecting the military…that’s manufactured outrage. If people have such a huge problem with the players kneeling during the anthem, then I should be allowed to be outraged over the people not removing their hats, which is a far more frequent occurrence than kneeling.

The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.

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I assume that either you’re joking or that you followed everything every other president has said without question or complaint. I personally feel that the president does not have the right to tell us how to do something that isn’t against the law, which is why I have not said the pledge or anthem since his “SOB” comment.

The NFL must have a whole book of bad decisions. Turn the page, and abracadabra! Another one, right there! You either change the policy or you don’t. And if you do, the heck with what the NFLPA says about needing to make concessions. Just do it. Let the NFLPA sue to have players be allowed to kneel. That will go over big. Or, don’t do anything. The end.

This is disgusting. Players shouldn’t be forced to stand for an anthem that promotes slavery in its third stanza. Just take the national anthem away from the game and allow players to use their platforms to push for change.

JustBlameTrumpOrRussia
May 23, 2018, 11:04 AM EDT
The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.
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There IS a compromise. If you want to use your job as a soapbox, then get a new job. See the real problem here isn’t about protest. It’s about hypocrisy. No one wants to see these coddled, sheltered, man-babies, many of whom skated through their entire lives because of their God given abilities, tell the rest of us how it is.

If we make players that are dissenting stay out of view, everything will be alright, right? right? gesh, it’s a good thing these owners are already wealthy. Their lack of common sense would not be seen as a valuable skill in most work places.

The whole point of a protest is to be seen. That’s why players need to do it on the field, because that’s where the cameras are — not in the locker room, not following them in their “free time.”

How many people are actually boycotting the NFL because of protests? My guess is not many. Trump jump blew it out of proportion because the only way he knows how to rule is by dividing people instead of bringing them together.

The anthem protests aren’t a problem for the NFL to solve, because no one is protesting the NFL — they’re protesting the criminal justice system’s unfair treatment of black people. Until real efforts are made to solve that problem, the protests can and should continue.

This is beyond dumb. While I get that players care about causes, how does kneeling change anything? Like many pointed out, how would it go over if at business or stores employees could wear BLM or Metoo shirts or hats? Would you allow Confederate shirts or Nazi pins? But there is no way to punish the few doing this. The proposed 15 yd penalty is dumb both teams would make sure to have some kneel. Just leave them in the locker room. Anything else won’t work unless all players were forced to stand ( how sad it has come to this) or they can’t play.

JustBlameTrumpOrRussia says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:04 am
The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.

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If you don’t understand what is wrong with this statement than you don’t understand freedom. Having government officials putting pressure on people to approve them is one step away from being under tyrant. How about if you don’t like freedom you leave. Go to Russia where they force you to stand and worship the government.

swede700 says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:12 am
Collectordude…you don’t have a platform to influence thousands of people at your work. It’s not the same. I have no issue with the players kneeling during the anthem. Their kneeling has nothing to do with disrespecting the flag or disrespecting the military…that’s manufactured outrage. If people have such a huge problem with the players kneeling during the anthem, then I should be allowed to be outraged over the people not removing their hats, which is a far more frequent occurrence than kneeling.
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Where is your pride? I mean if someone went and celebrated on the star (it happened in Dallas) everybody was outraged. Even though TO said he was not meaning to disrespect the star, he was just celebrating to the heavens.

That flag is what leads us into battle and stands as long as we are winning. It is a rich history of the freedoms people have died for. I can be easily taken as disrespectful THAT IS WHY WE STAND when the anthem is played in the first place!!!

You can let someone fart in your face every day and fart no where else but in your face and they can say, I did not mean to disrespect you. HOW LONG DO YOU TAKE IT? I mean they haven’t touched you. How long would you embrace their right to fart in your face without actually touching you?

I believe the crew that are kneeling are doing little more than virtue signaling and grandstanding. If you hear them talk, they’re protesting some vague, generic sense of undefined “injustice.” They have no real message, and that’s hurting their cause as much as anything else.

That said, they should still be allowed to kneel if they so choose, and the league should not stop them.

And as their right to kneel should be respected, those kneel should be equally respectful of those who don’t agree with them. Simply having a different opinion doesn’t make one a racist.

All I know is if I protested at work.
I’d be looking for a new employer.
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All I know is if my employer forced me to stand for the national anthem at work and fired me because I didn’t wouldn’t comply, we’d be in court and I would be getting back pay and a settlement.

No compromise is needed. We’ve been told (typically by the same kind of people who most strongly defend kneeling during the Nation Anthem) that it is wrong of people to hang up a Flag of the Confederacy, no matter the individual’s intent, because “it offends other people”. Well, kneeling during the National Anthem offends FAR MORE PEOPLE than hanging a CSA flag does, and because our society has demanded that we factor in the feelings of others, logically there can be no kneeling. To argue otherwise is to create a double standard, and double standards are objectively morally wrong.

People don’t honestly believe in that cause. NFL loses money, players lose money, just stand and do a podcast or something if you have to get your message out. If people cared, they’d listen, but they don’t, so they won’t. Not up to the league to provide a forum for these guys.

The NFL needed to do something. I think they missed by not making a fully comprehensive policy for all to clearly follow as one single unit. They really needed to put out a clear set policy for every team. The supposed “compromise” is not the answer, but a muddled mix which will perpetuate the social divisiveness. This isn’t the final tweak to this policy.

The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.
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You’re describing a dictatorship, not a democracy. If you don’t want to live in a democracy, you can leave.

Bottom Line…………..While on the playing field they are at the work place,

The rest of us who are at office, factory, MFG plants, stores, delivery vans, do our jobs and are paid to do our jobs……Not protesting.

Oh Wait that is what us normal Folks are expected/asked to do.

then I ask…So why should the player be allowed to? Are they no different than us? Shouldn’t they follow the same rules as us? Why can’t that be said out loud in the front of all this BS that is being spread by BOTH sides of this topic.

I don’t get this. The players are and have been infringing on the NFL Trademark…their intellectual property! They are collectively protesting social issues on the NFL’s dime. It could be that Goodell set a precedent by no stopping this when it started. Can GM workers protest social issues on GM property and time? I don’t think so.

The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.
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Obvious troll comment aside, it’s much harder to “leave” than people seem to think. Other countries don’t just hand out citizenships like candy either.

How about this? You stand and respect the flag and anthem or you don’t get paid to wear the uniform of the NFL team that is owned by a private individual. Man do I hate this idiotic topic. Either stand or leave and go protest. SIMPLE!

The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.
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You’re describing a dictatorship, not a democracy. If you don’t want to live in a democracy, you can leave.

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You’re partly correct. The United States of America is NOT a democracy, it is a Constitutional Republic, with democratic processes. There are major/monumental differences between the two.

The 2 guys at starbucks, the guy inspecting a home for his job, the guy that got pulled over for having a plant in his car, the guys having a BBQ… the list goes on and on with things that I do not have to deal with but others do. Their message is not wrong. It is fair to say that you disagree with how they are communicating it, but their message is not wrong.

byHim4u says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:27 am
All I know is if I protested at work.
I’d be looking for a new employer.
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All I know is if my employer forced me to stand for the national anthem at work and fired me because I didn’t wouldn’t comply, we’d be in court and I would be getting back pay and a settlement
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All I know is your statement lacks common sense.. what workplace plays the national anthem ? Nice try tho

If they refuse to acknowledge the inherent struggle that many of their players and players’ families suffer through off the football field, I can promise you, there will be a whole demographic of football fans who will shun the game. You have a league that’s comprised of mostly African Americans and you’re upset about their request for basic human rights off the field? Sickening.

“JustBlameTrumpOrRussia says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:04 am
The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.”

You can take that attitude straight to North Korea pal, Americans don’t bow to the whims of a wannabe dictator.

JustBlameTrumpOrRussia says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:04 am
The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.
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This sounds like a post by a Trump-hater trying to pin an exaggerated view upon Trump supporters.

It is true that the President doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling, and thankfully seems to have the support of most of the country in that viewpoint, including many of those who otherwise do not like him.

Neither he nor his supporters have ever suggested that Americans should follow his wishes or leave. That part of the post is a setup.

Personally, I try to keep respect for the Office of the President. I did not like Bill Clinton or his agenda, but it took him several years until I lost respect for his presidency.

You want athletes to be role models but you don’t want them to kneel against police officers killing unarmed black people and institutional racism? Aren’t role models supposed to stand up for what’s right?

In my America they’re free to protest and the league is free to establish a rule prohibiting certain actions as long as they’re broadly applied. This is your America too btw.
Let the protests continue and let the league deal with backlash for how they respond to them.

“How many people are actually boycotting the NFL because of protests? My guess is not many. Trump jump blew it out of proportion because the only way he knows how to rule is by dividing people instead of bringing them together.”
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So BeerBaron, why do you think the owners or Goodell addressed this at ALL if there is no impact on the game? They lost $$ – they lost me and many people I know in my circle last year. 10-1 they felt our displeasure, the advertisers felt it, and they’re desperately seeking a compromise. But as many mentioned, now that you’ve let the players dictate with no consequences, it will be hard to walk that back. But they felt it; or else it would be a non-issue. They heard, and they felt it. Even on here, where the staff is so pro-Kap they wanna move in with him and make him the activist extraordinaire of the world. Since he can’t play QB, ya know.

Yep. Don’t care. I separate any political feeling from my sports viewing, even if the players don’t. Stand, Kneel or stay in the locker room; I don’t care. I only like to watch and gamble on your athleticism. It’s a game.

Drama in waiting. The NFL would have been better served to just let the issue go, let it play out and go away. Now they’ll have a camera on the sidelines and another in the locker room for every anthem. Look at this player, he stayed in the locker room, oh no!

Protesting is meant to persuade people who aren’t aware of or are counter to your agenda, otherwise it’s just organized whining…I’d say persuasion is out the window, especially when the protesters are not viewed as victims but spoiled millionaires and have little sympathy from the Everyday Joe. At this point, opinions have been formed and this has become a prideful game of chicken.

youngnoizecom says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:55 am
You want athletes to be role models but you don’t want them to kneel against police officers killing unarmed black people and institutional racism? Aren’t role models supposed to stand up for what’s right?

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I don’t think that is it at all. They don’t want to alienate customers of the NFL whether the customer believes athletes have a right to protest for the reasons you listed or if the customer believes that everyone should stand for the anthem out of respect for their country.

The NFL’s goal, as is the goal of any corporation is to make profits for shareholders. They aren’t trying to make the world a better place. They may say that is the goal, but that in it self is just a way of keeping fans attracted to the game.

Youngnoizecom if you’re really concerned about the safety of black people in the United States of America – and this white man is! – then why don’t you protest all the black people killing black people!? Like 6 stupid cops did wrong (and need to be punished accordingly) but thousands, THOUSANDS of young black men are killed by other young black men! Show that you really care, and address Chicago.
Obama didn’t care. Never mentioned it, never addressed it, never went home and spoke to the people slaughtering each other daily. No, he went home and built a wall around his compound and posted armed guards all around.

For the love of…..I dont care what name a player on the whatever team thinks about anything. I.DONT.CARE. Ive come here to watch football. Please take your personal crap
out of my face. Ive paid to watch football. Paid dearly. I should get what I paid for, not to be accompanied by any personal commentary of the person providing the entertainment. I feel like soon I will have to listen to a small presentation of personal concerns by the waiter next time I go out to eat. I run a service business. I cant imagine allowing one of my techs to make some sort of social commentary during a visit with a customer. And before you go on about some “platform” because of the number of people involved and watching….its no different. Its a person expressing personal beliefs in a professional setting during a time that they are being paid to provide a service. Not appropriate. Never has been, still isnt.

Remember, these same noble patriotic dissenters had no problem going to games in London and paying respect to another country’s anthem — which, by the way, glorifies a monarchy that once colonized a quarter of the Earth’s land mass, and that we had to wage war with for our own freedom. Twice. They aren’t even smart enough to be called hypocrites.

The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.
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You’re describing a dictatorship, not a democracy. If you don’t want to live in a democracy, you can leave.
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We are a constitutional republic. You need to look up the difference between democracy and constitutional republic. Not the same.

I am a vet and I can tell you first hand I could care less if people stand, take a knee, or sleep during the national anthem. This whole thing is a rabbit ear whine fest created by the fake patriots in our society to try and get us looking at stupid issues instead of the important ones facing our society. I see people all the time wearing the flag as a shirt or hat which is way worse then taking a knee before a football game.

What compromise was made during these talks?? This was decided between the owners and the league. They didn’t bother to include the Players Association who’s job is to make sure things are done fairly when it comes to player fines/disciplinary issues. Leave them on the field kneeling, the players win, leave them in the locker room the players still win. The media will toss more fuel on the fire looking to see who was and wasn’t on the field for the anthem bring more attention to the issue.

doctorrustbelt says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:03 am
That was Cincinnati’s solution.

It worked. There was no player/management conflict.

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Agreed. I mean, this is just one more embarrassing thing for Goodell and his absolutely horrendous lack of leadership, earning 30+ million per year.

It’s just sad that their focus is on constant rule changes, with massive grey areas to be able to cheat certain teams, mainly the Pats during games like we saw in the SB, concoct witch hunts, etc, to the point all of these lawyers having such high opinions of themselves, ruin the sport in the name of greed.

It’s always been such a simple solution, but for a league so concerned about “optics” and image, they sure know how to get caught with their pants between their legs, don’t they?

Has the PSI data been released and why is Eli Manning going un-punished, can anyone answer this?

All I know is if my employer forced me to stand for the national anthem at work and fired me because I didn’t wouldn’t comply, we’d be in court and I would be getting back pay and a settlement
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I suggest you check with labor law. I have a contract with the Teamsters, Guidance from their legal department is that I can require standing and saying the Pledge of Allegiance during work hours if I so desire. Anything not prohibited in the contract is at my discretion during working hours.

Thing was it was mostly going away at the end of the year and then they brought it up out of the blue when no one has said anything about it for months. It is what it is I will still watch and was going to still watch regardless. Everyone should be able to be heard. It sparked debate and brought up a legitimate conversation about issues in society.

youngnoizecom says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:55 am
You want athletes to be role models but you don’t want them to kneel against police officers killing unarmed black people and institutional racism? Aren’t role models supposed to stand up for what’s right?

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There is a time and a place to speak out, awards shows, concerts, sporting events are not the time and place to air political views. People want to be entertained for two or three hours and escape the BS. I would love to know what WW II vets such as the Tuskegee Airman would think. Korean Or Vietnam vets who are black and seen the horrors of war and fought for our country. Kneeling for the anthem is narcissistic behavior and in the look at me look at me society, the attention whoring on social media, well this is what you get.

I dont’ live in a vacuum and think the racial bigotry and profiling doesn’t happen it does. We need do educate those people better ON BOTH sides! Understand officers want to go home too, if you’re breaking into cars and running, they don’t know what you have packing. Should they guess? unarmed or not….when an officer tells you to stop you comply instead of you trying to earn your street cred.

I dont’ agree with kneeling, but I would defend your right to my death for you to do it.

“The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.”

The president is a 5 time draft dodger who doesn’t even know the words to the anthem. The constitution gives us the right to protest without “having to leave” by the way. Last time I checked we are still a democracy even though Trump is doing everything he can to convert us to a fascist country.

JustBlameTrumpOrRussia says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:04 am
The president of the United States of America doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling. If you’re American than you respect the President and follow his wishes. Otherwise you can leave.
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(1) This sounds like a post by a Trump-hater trying to pin an exaggerated view upon Trump supporters.

(2) It is true that the President doesn’t approve of anthem kneeling, and thankfully seems to have the support of most of the country in that viewpoint, including many of those who otherwise do not like him.

(3) Neither he nor his supporters have ever suggested that Americans should follow his wishes or leave. That part of the post is a setup.

(4) Personally, I try to keep respect for the Office of the President. I did not like Bill Clinton or his agenda, but it took him several years until I lost respect for his presidency.

(5) Obama propelled that realization in a matter of weeks.
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Let’s take this paragraph by paragraph:

1. Totally agree with that assessment, good eye.

2. I don’t understand why you claim most of the country agrees with the anti-protest viewpoint. I doubt that’s true purely on the grounds that I believe more people are completely apathetic to the whole issue and that is different than being either for or against it. I may be wrong about that, but feelings matter more than facts these days, am I right?

3. I can’t say for certain whether or not the President has said that, but a subset of his supporters certainly have. Followers behave in a manner that they believe reflects the messaging of their leaders, regardless of whether their interpretation is right or wrong. It is troubling to see the intolerant “obey or leave” sentiment coming from any supporters of a sitting President, regardless of who that President may be.

4. Fair enough.

5. This totally contradicts paragraph 4. You seemed to understand it takes more time to truly assess the quality of a President (or lack there of) with respect to Bill Clinton. If it only took weeks to write off the Obama administration then you didn’t really “try” to keep respect for the Office of the President in that case. I mean, it’s not like you’re testing out a new mattress.

I prefer my quarterbacks to take a knee at the end of the game. After years of his play regressing, he found that he took knees less and less at the end of games… so he started doing it at the beginning.

The National Anthem was never meant to be political. Trump made it that way. This whole thing was starting to gradually fade away until he started calling players SOB’s etc. People said leave your politics at home. Fair. But, Trump made this political. Sorry Trump lovers, but that’s the truth. Crap, you could also make the case to pull the Anthem from all sporting events, too. I realize that’s not realistic, but this is much more complicated than some may think.

JDOG63- do you know how long people have been fighting to stop black-on-black crime, which is also a byproduct of institutionalized racism, lack of jobs and resources in inner-city communities? If you don’t, which you proved you didn’t in your comment, then please refrain from talking about this subject.

youngnoizecom says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:55 am
You want athletes to be role models but you don’t want them to kneel against police officers killing unarmed black people and institutional racism? Aren’t role models supposed to stand up for what’s right?

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PARENTS should be role models not athletes! Its YOUR responsibility to raise your kids, not the media, famous athletes, actors, actresses etc.

There is a time and a place to speak out, awards shows, concerts, sporting events are not the time and place to air political views. People want to be entertained for two or three hours and escape the BS. I would love to know what WW II vets such as the Tuskegee Airman would think. Korean Or Vietnam vets who are black and seen the horrors of war and fought for our country. Kneeling for the anthem is narcissistic behavior and in the look at me look at me society, the attention whoring on social media, well this is what you get.

I dont’ live in a vacuum and think the racial bigotry and profiling doesn’t happen it does. We need do educate those people better ON BOTH sides! Understand officers want to go home too, if you’re breaking into cars and running, they don’t know what you have packing. Should they guess? unarmed or not….when an officer tells you to stop you comply instead of you trying to earn your street cred.

I dont’ agree with kneeling, but I would defend your right to my death for you to do it.

Come on Florio. They aren’t “taking away the player’s right to protest”, as you claim. They are taking away the players right to protest AT WORK. Huge difference.

These guys still can (and should) address the issues they have with law enforcement. Maybe this will force them to make a more constructive effort, like organizing events with law enforcement and at risk youth, for example.

What hurts the cause more than sitting in the locker room at halftime is all the false racism claims. I can’t count how many cases I’ve seen where somebody screams racial profiling, only to be debunked by body cam and/or security camera footage. People who make these public claims, who are later proved wrong, should be punished.

Well guess I will skip the NFL for the time being. The minute you force people to stand up for some song and dance routine to worship a country that has a ton of problems it’s unwilling to fix, you lose my support.

Thetruthis says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:24 am
swede700 says:
May 23, 2018 at 11:12 am
Collectordude…you don’t have a platform to influence thousands of people at your work. It’s not the same. I have no issue with the players kneeling during the anthem. Their kneeling has nothing to do with disrespecting the flag or disrespecting the military…that’s manufactured outrage. If people have such a huge problem with the players kneeling during the anthem, then I should be allowed to be outraged over the people not removing their hats, which is a far more frequent occurrence than kneeling.
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Where is your pride? I mean if someone went and celebrated on the star (it happened in Dallas) everybody was outraged. Even though TO said he was not meaning to disrespect the star, he was just celebrating to the heavens.

That flag is what leads us into battle and stands as long as we are winning. It is a rich history of the freedoms people have died for. I can be easily taken as disrespectful THAT IS WHY WE STAND when the anthem is played in the first place!!!

You can let someone fart in your face every day and fart no where else but in your face and they can say, I did not mean to disrespect you. HOW LONG DO YOU TAKE IT? I mean they haven’t touched you. How long would you embrace their right to fart in your face without actually touching you?
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The moment we forget that those battles were fought for the right to choose to stand or kneel is the moment we disrespect that sacrifice. Standing for the anthem is a symbol and a powerful symbol when done freely. It loses all meaning if you cannot choose to stand; because the power is in the choice not in the act.

The players did not collectively bargain for the right to protest–it was simply an issue not covered in the collective bargaining agreement. Therefore, they really are not having a right taken away for which they paid. The bias of the writer is showing in the conclusion of the article. Look at it from the opposite perspective–the owners did not bargain away the right to permit the players to protest (e.g. they didn’t get concessions from the players in return for permitting protests). Given that the protests are costing the owners since fans are boycotting as a result of the protests, it could equally be argued that the owners rights are being taken away by the players protesting.

All jobs and workplaces have policies that you have to adhere to if you want to work there – and this is no different. If you don’t want to stand during the Anthem, stay in the locker room. Seems completely reasonable and fair.

Rule 5, Article 8 Personal Messages has ALWAYS been in the rulebook: “Throughout the period on game-day that a player is VISIBLE to the stadium and television audience, players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration”

The NFL NEVER gave the the players the “right” to protest. Rule 5 specifically prohibits personal messages. It’s dishonest to keep repeating that narrative like something was taken away when in fact they never had it.

“Well guess I will skip the NFL for the time being. The minute you force people to stand up for some song and dance routine to worship a country that has a ton of problems it’s unwilling to fix, you lose my support.”

Please list all those problems for me. And not the fake ones either, the real ones.

@MrDarkness13 My grandfather is a black veteran and I can tell you exactly what he thinks. Kneel until this country hears you. He told me he faced more atrocities coming back home after the war than anything he endured while doing battle.

Anyone who says you would get fired for protesting at your work is an ignoramous. First, they’re not protesting. Second, your job isn’t asking you to uphold certain beliefs or take certain political stances. If your job asks you to do that, it’s not a good job and that company’s practices shouldn’t be tolerated in our country. Also the anthem has nothing to do with the military. The whole point of the military is to protect freedoms such as kneeling during songs and not getting in trouble for it.

I know that Florio is the lawyer here but I’m not certain the players are automatically granted the right to protest just because there was no language in the CBA. It is entirely possible the NFL didn’t accurately predict how big an issue this would become when they crafted the last CBA. I guess you could argue it’s an implied right but I think that is murky territory. I am quite certain this will be a key issue in the next CBA but that is still a few years away. For now I think the “compromise” is the best the NFL can do. I also agree with one commentator that said some players may be in favor of this because it gives them a guideline for how to handle this instead of leaving it in the hands of volatile owners.

The NFL created this fiasco and now they are trying to policy their way out of it and leaving loop holes in it. Nothing in their new policy that it addresses and form of construed protest during the playing of the Anthem. The players will find other forms of protest like refusing to remove their helmets, hats, and wearing unauthorized clothing or emblems on their uniforms. They will be back two years from now trying to revise their so called new compromise.

Players do not have the right to protest at work without consequences. Just like every other American worker. This new rule doesn’t take away their right to protest, it just clearly states that if you chose to do so, there will be consequences.